1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer-aided design or drafting software.
2. The Relevant Technology
Computer systems now play a critical role in building and/or architectural design. In particular, architects and interior designers (“or designers”) use a wide range of computer-aided design (CAD) software for designing the aesthetic as well as functional aspects of a given residential or commercial space. For example, a designer might use an architectural design program (e.g., a CAD program) to design the interior layout of an office building. The designer might then render the layout to create a three-dimensional model of the interior of the office building that can be displayed to a client.
Some CAD programs may provide the designer with the ability to navigate throughout the model. For example, the designer may be able to navigate from an office space to an attached lobby within the three-dimensional model. In some cases, the designer may want to show a client the general layout of an architectural design by navigating from room-to-room within the three-dimensional model.
In particular, the designer may desire to make a movie file depicting the designer's movements throughout the three-dimensional model. The movie file could then be sent to the client, allowing the client to see the layout of the architectural design without the client having to render the three-dimensional model within a CAD program. Alternatively, a designer may want to send an interactive flythrough of the layout to the client.
In a flythrough, the client can advance the flythrough from one predetermined perspective to another, while having the ability to stop and navigate the three-dimensional model at any time during the flythrough. This can allow a designer to provide a client with a pathway for viewing a particular three-dimensional model. Unfortunately, certain types of special effects for use in viewing, focusing, or otherwise presenting a movie file or an interactive flythrough tend to be very limited within architectural design programs.
For example, when navigating through the three-dimensional model or when creating a movie file, a designer may want to emphasize certain aspects or features of the design. In particular, a designer may want to create a movie file or interactive flythrough for a client that emphasizes a statue that is depicted within the three-dimensional model. When orchestrating the path of the camera for either the movie file or interactive flythrough, a designer may emphasize the statue by lingering on it for an extended period of time.
Simply, lingering on the statue, however, may not be sufficient to indicate to a client what element is being emphasized. The client may be uncertain whether the statue as a whole is being emphasized, whether a particular portion of the statue is being emphasized, or whether some element in the background of the statue is being emphasized.
Conventional methods of emphasizing a particular element of a scene include changing the depth of field to focus on the emphasized element, while blurring the remainder of the image. This particular effect, based on how real-life photography cameras work, tends to be limited or non-existent in design programs. In particular, although a select few design programs may allow a designer to adjust the depth of field on an image-by-image basis, this feature tends to be nonexistent or extremely limited when rendering interactive flythroughs or movie scenes of the designed environment.
Specifically, conventional design programs tend to be particularly limited where a designer may need to adjust the depth of field in real time while navigating within the three-dimensional model. Accordingly, there are a number of disadvantages in the art that can be addressed.